Little Dung (pronounced June) our most loyal interpreter and Chief on a vehicle recon north of Tam Quan. Coordinates on back of picture show BS 908147; recon date 7 Feb 66. This was an old VC road block. We rendezvoused with a US Marine platoon on top of the hill earlier that morning.

This is the Ha Tay MSS and the hotel accommodations we had. As I recall Tommy, Joe, Charlie, and I slung hammocks which we usually did because of the snakes, rats, scorpions, and other things that liked to chew on you!

This is our first POW on the Ha Tay recon - Lan - with Jeff to his left and Tommy to his right. He turned in an old WWI Enfield action Remington .30 cal along with several rounds of ammo and a frag grenade. He wanted no part of the war; just wanted to take care of his family, which we saw to after we convinced him to (with smokes and good chow) scout/point for us thru all the mines and boobies the VC had laid in the AO we were working. We dressed him up in a striker uniform with bata boots and he was a happy camper. Came thru like a champ and we released him at end of the patrol to the district chief with the recommendation that he let him go free - he was just a scared kid (16 or 17) that the VC had coerced and was deathly afraid of all that the VC had told him about Americans (we cooked ‘em, cut ‘em up, etc). Helped him reunite with his family and the DC chewed him out and let him go. See patrol report for more on other POW’s.

Fargason either coming or going thru the 2d Bde 1st Cav company perimeter where we had our MSS set-up at Ha Tay. Probably coming back thru after day recon because of relaxed attitude (cigarette in mouth). Either way it was hairy.

Cav troops didn't like our little guys - looked too much like VC to them!

After securing a break area on Ha Tay recon Charlie draws guard duty with the rest of us stacking arms to do what come naturally.

Took a break in the Ha Tay MSS after a day recon to write a quick note home - our mail went out from camp everytime we had a Medevac come in as we had no other means of getting in or out of camp except for the occasional AC. Docs were the unofficial mailmen - left our letters in the dispensary and they would get it out on the next AC - sometimes a week or so - B Team Liaison in Qui Nhon (80 KM south) got our mail from SFOB and held it until we called for a medevac thru them. They would then run it over to the airstrip while their commo was putting in the medevac call. Would also throw on a case of meat when we asked for it.

This was a VC training area we ran into in Ha Tay. Sign in both VN and English says, “The United States Army Quit Out South VN”. Never touched it like they wanted. Backed off and pulled it down with para cord and it went BOOM just like we knew it would.